MMA Icon, Movie Star & now @IMPACTWRESTLING Superstar! Welcome Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (@Rampage4real) to the family.
— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) June 4, 2013
TNA issued the following announcement on Tuesday afternoon, revealing that UFC legend Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has signed a groundbreaking deal with TNA, Bellator MMA and Spike TV:
QUINTON “RAMPAGE” JACKSON JOINS FORCES WITH BELLATOR MMA, TNA WRESTLING AND SPIKE TV FOR LANDMARK PARTNERSHIP
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, the mixed martial arts icon and action-movie star has agreed to a monumental, multi-year partnership with Spike TV, Bellator MMA, and TNA Wrestling, it was jointly announced today by Kevin Kay, Spike TV President, Bjorn Rebney, Bellator CEO, and Dixie Carter, TNA Wrestling President.
The landmark partnership includes Jackson competing in Bellator MMA, along with joining the superstars of TNA’s “Impact Wrestling,” which includes fellow Bellator fighter “King Mo” Lawal.
Spike TV will also create a special reality series featuring Rampage that will lead into his debut with Bellator, along with other entertainment initiatives.
“Rampage is a true superstar both inside and outside the MMA cage” Bellator CEO & Chairman Bjorn Rebney said. “The partnership that we’ve created with Quinton is unlike anything that’s ever been done in the sports & entertainment arena and Rampage is the perfect athlete/entertainer to carry it off.”
“Rampage is one of the best known MMA fighters competing today,” said Carter. “He is a true cross-over star and his talent, big personality and popularity among a wide range of fans make him an extraordinary fit for our company,”
“We are thrilled to create this opportunity for one of the greatest athletes and personalities in MMA,” said Kevin Kay, Spike TV President. “Rampage is a proven ratings driver who brings incredible star power to both Bellator and TNA.”
Jackson (32-11) joins Bellator as a former Pride and UFC champion, having last fought on Spike TV in September 2007, in a fight vs. Dan Henderson that drew nearly 6 million viewers, making it one of the most watched fights in the sport’s history. In 2009, Jackson served as a coach on Spike’s “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights,” the highest-rated season by far in franchise history, delivering over 3 million viewers per week. Rampage joins a Bellator Light Heavyweight division that features “King Mo,” Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Emanuel Newton, Attila Vegh and Vladimir Matyushenko.
The charismatic fighter from Memphis, TN began his professional MMA career in 1999 and established his legacy across the globe through epic battles with MMA titans including Wanderlei Silva, Chuck Liddell, Jon Jones and Dan Henderson among others.
Jackson starred in the 2010 blockbuster film, “The A-Team,” as “B.A. Baracus,” the character made famous by Mr. T in the television series. Jackson’s other film credits include “Confessions of a Pit Fighter,” “Fire With Fire,” “Never Surrender,” and “Miss March.”
